This invention relates to a connector assembly and, more particularly, to a connector assembly for connecting two elongated, cylindrical members.
Many applications exist for connecting two elongated, cylindrical members. For example, in the recovery of hydrocarbons from oil and gas earth wells, several elongated, cylindrical assemblies are involved which must be connected. In one application a reciprocating pump is disposed above ground and is connected, via a sucker rod assembly, to a mechanism disposed in the wellbore which responds to the reciprocating movement for forcing the well fluid upwardly through the wellbore to the surface. The sucker rod assembly usually comprises a plurality of elongated rods, each as much as twenty-five feet in length, connected at their ends in various manners. Other elongated, cylindrical assemblies for use in hydrocarbon fluid recovery are in the form of downhole tools forming a tool string which is connected to a wireline or to coiled tubing. In these situations, the various tools must be connected to each other and the string itself must be connected to the wireline or to the coiled tubing.
Previous techniques for connecting two cylindrical members in the above manner involve the forming of mating threads on corresponding surfaces of the respective members to be connected and simply rotating one member relative to the other to make or break the connection. However, the threads often become jammed and/or stripped which requires the use of large wrenches and, in some cases, "hammer wrenches" which requires a great deal of torque to break the connection. This, of course, involves a considerable amount of time and labor.
In order to overcome these problems, other connecting devices have been suggested, including those that utilize a bayonet-type connection or connections involving spring-loaded locking lugs, tabs, and the like. However, these types of connectors are usually relatively small and require a manual release and often are covered by grease, mud and other foreign matter rendering it difficult to be accessed, especially when the operator is wearing gloves.